Week 1: Deepening the discipline of prayer
FOCUS: HOW TO MAKE PRAYER A PART OF DAILY LIFE.
FOCUS: HOW TO MAKE PRAYER A PART OF DAILY LIFE.
Luke 11:5-13
And he said to them, ‘Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.” 7And he answers from within, “Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.” 8I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs. ‘So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 10For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for* a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? 12Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? 13If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit* to those who ask him!’ INTRODUCTIONS
OPENING MEDITATION: Experiment with Lectio Divinia using the scripture above. (see post on Lectio Divina)
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. What part does prayer play in your life right now?
2. What kinds of prayer are you familiar with or have you experienced?
3. What do you pray about?
4. Is it okay to ask God for things? For things for others? For things for yourself?
5. Does God change things in answer to our prayers?
6. What kind of response to prayer do you expect or have you experienced?
7. What happens if you feel God doesn’t answer your prayers or the answer is not what you wanted? (see v 9-10)
8. Are there things you are afraid to bring to God in prayer?
PRACITICING PRAYER:
Breath Prayer/Presence Prayer
Writing a conversation prayer
Imagining Intercession
TO DO THIS WEEK: Pray 10 minutes everyday this coming week in whatever way feels comfortable to you.
CLOSE: The Lord’s Prayer
If you are reading this online please feel free to, using the comment section, tell us what you experienced during Lectio Divina and/or answer the discussion questions.
2 comments:
One of the major themes to emerge from the group on Tuesday was that Jesus is talking about taking an action. Prayer is an action. The door isn't opened unless we knock. The answer doesn't come unless we ask. It may not be the door we want to be opened, or the answer may not be what we expected, but without our action first nothing happens at all.
I personally will throw out there that I have come to see prayer as action where we become one with God in making things happen. I think God can change God's planned actions in response to prayer. And I also think we change and become more able to reflect God to others the more we pray.
This theme of prayer as an action reminded me of something I used for a post-service prayer gathering a while back:
As we come together and lift our thoughts to the divine, God, of course, already knows what we need. The question is – do we know? And do we know how to ask? And how far are we willing to go to make our prayer a reality? Casting ourselves at God’s feet in helpless desperation is all well and good – God knows, I’ve done it plenty of times myself – but ultimately we’re likely to have a more meaningful spiritual experience to the extent we take action at our own end. There’s a story told in Italy about a poor man who goes to church every day and prays before the statue of a great saint, begging, “Dear saint – please, please, please give me the grace to win the lottery.” This lament goes on for months. Finally, the exasperated statue comes to life, looks down at the begging man and says in weary disgust, “My son – please, please, please…buy a ticket.” Prayer is a relationship; half the job is ours. If we want transformation, but can’t even be bothered to articulate what, exactly, we’re aiming for, how will it ever occur? Half the benefit of prayer is in the asking itself, in the offering of a clearly posed and well-considered intention. The other half, perhaps, is found in the interplay between divine grace and our own effort.
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